Serbs set fire to a CroatianEmbassy flag in Belgrade
Belgrade youths set fire to a Croatian flag with a flare as they celebrate the victory by the Serbia-Montenegro national water polo team, at the European Water polo Championships in Belgrade, June 15, 2003. Serbia and Montenegro beat Croatia in the final match 9-8. REUTERS/Ivan Milutinovic
Croatia demands compensation for embassy attack
ZAGREB — Monday — The Croatian Foreign Ministry has reacted to last night’s attacks on its Belgrade embassy with a letter to Milan Simurdic, Serbia-Montenegro ambassador to Zagreb.
The ministry’s letter demands to be informed of exactly what happened and also requests that an investigation be conducted and damage compensated.
Croatia contends that around 2,000 Belgraders marched on its embassy last night, shouting insults and leaving every single window and external light smashed.
The statement added: “The incident peaked when some of those people climbed the embassy balcony, took down the Croatian flag, removed the mast and in its place put the Serbia-Montenegro flag”.
Op-ed
In my opinion this flag shouldn’t be there in the first place. Forceful forgivenessand reconciliation is contra productive. Always was. Croatian wounds are deep,not just from the recent war, but from the last 100 years. Bleiburg is recenttoo. And to prove my point, visas have been canceled between these two/threecountries, less then 10 years after the genocide committed by our neighbors. Onemust be highly civilized and enlightened to forgive that. If people involvedwere, it wouldn’t happen in the first place. This is not pragmatic thinking, butpurely realistic and practical one. These are two different civilization, notjust countries. Give peace a chance ! As said, there is no way to peace. PeaceIs the way. Forceful Brotherhood leads to bloodshed. Haven’t we learn anythingin the last 100 years? To further prove my point, there is no talk about WARREPARATIONS. That would cool anybody who think they can intimidate us withburning the flag. With incompetence, you allow extreme politicians to thrive andpromote violence. Visas should be abolished not less then 25 years or/andconditioned with war reparations.
No vision and wisdom at the top. Everything else are details.
Nenad Bach
CROWN, editor in chief